21.1.13

Somewhere in Gadchiroli....



In a major blow to the Naxals, security forces killed six top rebels in the forests near Jimulgatta in Aheri tehsil, 170 km from Gadchiroli, early on Sunday. All bodies were recovered.
At least 12 Maoists, armed with self-loading rifles, 303s and other crude arms, engaged in the encounter against the elite C-60 commandos equipped with sophisticated arms for half an hour.
The commandos from Aheri Pranhita camp in south Gadchiroli used the ambush tactics of the Maoists and surrounded them while they were returning from a meeting held in Govindgaon village.
Gadchiroli DIG Ravindra Kadam said the encounter was an intelligence-based operation. The commandos were lying in wait outside the village when their meeting ended shortly after midnight and the Maoists walked into their trap, Kadam said. “Two more Naxals are likely to have suffered serious injuries, but their cadres took them away,” he added.
Additional SP, south (Aheri), Rahul Shrirame said the commandos were despatched to the village, around 55 km from the Pranhita camp.
“The commandos, split into two groups, were waiting at two strategic locations. The plan was to wait for the Naxals to step out of the village after the meeting,” Shrirame said. Several rounds of ammunition were recovered
After the gunbattle , the security forces recovered two SLRs, a couple of .303, an 8 mm single barrel gun and ammunition. A radio set, Naxal literature, water bottles and snacks, too, were recovered.
Among the senior cadres killed were Muneshwar Lakda alias Shankar (divisional committee member of Aheri local guerilla squad), Chandrayya Kodape alias Vinod (commander of Aheri dalam), Vinod’s wife Geeta Usendi (deputy commander of a platoon), Mohan Kowase alias Tulsi (deputy commander of Aheri dalam), Jhuru Mattami (bodyguard to a senior cadre) and Sunita Kodape (member of Sironcha local organization squad).
Shankar has 59 offences against him, the police said. Vinod has 20 charges while there are 13 crimes registered against Geeta. Mattami has five offences against him. Shankar is learnt to have spearheaded the 2011 attack at Beijurphata where two special police officers were killed. He was also behind the killing of a constable whose weapon had also been taken away.
Gadchiroli superintendent of police Suwez Haque said they would not rest on the laurels but remain on the toes to guard against retaliation. “We are cautious,” he said, underlining that the government welcomes Maoists who want to surrender.

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